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Having a Ball

The cheesy reason we heart our garlic "nots"

Beets, tomato soup, hamburgers: Is there anything that a bit of cheese doesn’t make better? Case in point: garlic knots. Our take on the pizza-parlor staple omits the silly knotting step but is bolstered by the addition of gooey mozzarella. The result is a garlicky cocktail app that will have your guests shouting “Brava!”

Makes about 2 dozen

Start to Finish: 12 hours (includes overnight rising time)

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

3¾ cups bread flour

1 package (7 grams) yeast

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 ⅓ cups water, at room temperature

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

“Nots”

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

10 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup fresh chopped parsley

Directions

1. Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour with the yeast until well combined. Add the salt, sugar, water and oil. Mix on low speed until the mixture comes together, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix until a smooth dough forms, 5 minutes more. (You can also mix the dough by hand for 10 minutes total.)

2. Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator overnight.

3. Make the “nots”: Preheat the oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Heat the olive oil in a small pot over medium heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the garlic, remove from the heat and let steep for 15 minutes.

5. To shape the “nots,” form the dough into rough balls (use about 3 tablespoons of dough per “not”) around 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese. Round the dough into smooth balls (see Finishing Touches, below).

6. Brush the “nots” generously with the oil and bake until golden, 10 to 13 minutes. While still hot, toss the “nots” in the remaining oil and parsley. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Three steps to perfect "nots":

1. Flatten the dough slightly with your palm, and place 1 tablespoon shredded cheese in the center.

2. Fold the outer edges of the dough inward, pinching at the top to seal.

3. To make sure the “nots” are fully sealed, roll each ball on the counter until the surface of the dough is smooth.